It’s clear to see why SAA is Africa’s most awarded airline– our network and service levels are second to none ; we plan to keep it that way. That’s why we are extending our regional route network by adding another destination; join us in welcoming: Ndola (Zambia).

Speaking of new routes, SAA is happy to announce a new partnership route with Mango airlines, enabling locals, especially residents of Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, to fly from Lanseria to Cape Town. For more information on this exciting announcement, click here.

Looking further abroad, we are proud of the Springboks performance so far – we know they have what it takes to go all the way. So enter our competition to win great Bok merchandise by visiting Follow your Team and get behind the Boks every step of the way!

The end of the year is just around the corner, so start planning your end of year flights now. We have included some great destinations to inspire you. Plus there the up-and-coming Double Miles Voyager promotion.

Until next time, travel safe!

Destination of the month - Africa

KenyaKenya has a sophisticated tourism infrastructure, with two major cities controlling the majority of the tourism trade. Nairobi, the capital, is the safari and hiking hub, situated in the cool Central Highlands, while on the east coast the hot and humid trading port of Mombasa functions as the gateway to the resorts and pristine beaches of the area.

ZimbabweZimbabwe offers an astounding variety of natural beauty and spectacular scenery. The country holds great appeal for active adventurers, outdoor enthusiasts and those with an appreciative eye for exquisite beauty - from the majesty of the famous Victoria Falls, to the giant marble-like boulders of the Motopo Hills. Highlights include the verdant mountains of the Eastern Highlands as well as the national parks teeming with wildlife.

UgandaUganda is one of the continent's most beautiful countries, boasting a wide variety of scenery, culture and wildlife despite its modest size. Its reputation as 'Africa's friendliest country' is not only accredited to its likeable people, but also to its redevelopment as an eco-friendly environment, with the enlightened management of 10 national parks, and its introduction of eco-tourism projects, adventure sports and unique gorilla-trekking opportunities that have put the country back on the tourist circuit.

ZambiaThe big, beautiful country of Zambia is situated in the heart of the African sub-continent, untainted by commercial tourist development, but nevertheless well-equipped to allow visitors to experience the warmth, excitement, challenges and adventures of the real Africa. The country's prime attraction is the spectacular, breathtaking Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

TanzaniaThe largest country in East Africa, Tanzania boasts the highest mountain on the continent, the exotic spice islands of historical Zanzibar, and the famous Serengeti National Park whose seemingly endless plains stage one of the greatest spectacles of animal behaviour, the annual migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra followed by their predators.

*Above fares are on a return basis, inclusive of all taxes and are subject to change due to currency fluctuations. Terms and conditions apply.

Quote Booking Code : wsa29sep

Fly directly to Paradise!

It is easy to run out of adjectives when attempting to describe the natural beauty of the small tropical Indian Ocean island paradise of Mauritius. The volcanic island Republic, covered with lush forest, streams and waterfalls, and fringed with palms, dazzling white sands and teeming coral reefs, lies east of Madagascar just south of the Equator. Mauritius, covering just 720 square miles (1,864 sq km), is the archetypal dream destination for an idyllic holiday, equipped with modern resorts that have been carefully developed to preserve the island's beauty and ecology.

Mark Twain is quoted as having said that 'Mauritius was made first, then heaven was copied from it', and anyone who has experienced the island would no doubt agree with him. Along with its natural beauty Mauritius has a valuable tourist resource in the warmth and friendliness of its multi-cultural population.

Mauritius' golden beaches

Since being officially 'discovered' in 1505 by the Portuguese, the island has been occupied by the Dutch, the French and the British. All have added to the melting pot that constitutes the island's human heritage, along with injections of African slaves, Arab traders and Chinese indentured labourers over the centuries.

Most of the tourist resorts are situated along the 205-mile (330km) coastline, with the capital Port Louis, on the west coast, being the centre of operations for most visitors. The bulk of the population, however, reside on the central plateaux around Curepipe, the island's other major town. Although everyone who visits Mauritius comes for the sandy beaches and blue lagoons, most are delighted to discover that the island has plenty of other attractions too, from some of the world's rarest stamps to the first ever race course to open in the southern hemisphere. Of course no holiday would be complete, either, without good food and entertainment. Mauritius offers both, with some delicious local cuisine that makes use of tropical fruits and vegetables, and the chance to learn the island's indigenous wild dance, the Sega, which originated among the African slaves of yore.

Platinum Lounge - Cape Town

South African Airways (SAA) has added a living room concept to its Platinum Lounge in Cape Town, creating a cosy, warm and welcoming lounge where customers can relax and enjoy the facilities on offer. This lounge offers facilities such as a fresh array of light and healthy snacks, fresh cake daily and an assortment of beverages. A smokers' lounge is also available.

High-speed free wifi, and computers for those who are not travelling with theirs, as well as a spectacular view of the runway all promise to make this lounge as popular as SAA’s other lounges. The lounge may be used by customers who are Platinum members of SAA’s frequent flyer programme, Voyager.

"What makes the new lounge so interesting is that we have combined the warm African welcome of the SAAd brand with new innovations such as furniture and accessories by the South African designer Weylandts, creating an inviting, stylish and relaxing space which customers will enjoy spending time in." says Kim Thipe, head of
SAA’s marketing.

Cape Town's Platium Lounge

Upcoming Events

Brazilian F1 Grand Prix

Site of the final race of the Formula One season, the bumpy Interlagos Circuit is not a favourite with the drivers, but for spectators it is one of the most thrilling and vibrant of circuits.

The stands are often filled with Brazilian green and yellows as locals of Sao Paulo cheer on their resident native and 2006 winner Filipe Massa. The track is 10 miles (16km) away from the city centre.

Double Miles to or from London on South African Airways:

SAA Voyager

Voyager Members will earn double miles when traveling on SAA operating direct flights between London/Johannesburg or London/Cape Town from 1 October to 30 Nov 2011.

Terms and Conditions:
Double miles will be applicable in Economy class ( Y B M K H S) fares only.
Discounted economy class fares are excluded from this promotion Codeshare flights are excluded.
Travel must be completed within the promotion period to qualify for Double miles.

Your Voyager number must be quoted at time of booking, in order for the miles to automatically track on the Voyager account.

SAA News

Expedia® Affiliate Network (EAN), an Expedia, Inc. division dedicated to private label partnerships, announced a partnership recently with South African Airways (SAA), the leading airline carrier in Africa serving 20 destinations across the continent. SAA, Africa’s most awarded airline, chose EAN for the breadth of inventory and great hotel rates offered at each of the 35 destinations that it serves.

"We are very pleased to be working with Expedia as our new hotel service provider,” said Marc Cavaliere, Vice President of Global Sales Development for SAA. “We selected EAN because they allow us to offer our customers a tremendously robust inventory of hotel properties worldwide at very attractive rates."

“We’re excited at the opportunity to work with SAA,” said Sean McDonald, Vice President of Sales for EAN EMEA. “Not only are we able to offer their customers great rates at more than 135,000 properties worldwide, but in partnering with SAA, we can provide complete travel solutions to their patrons, simplifying the shopping and booking experience to one seamless transaction for both air and hotel.”

The new offering will be built using EAN’s flexible hotel API and leverage the Datalex Travel Distribution Platform to create a tailored, easy-to-use solution for SAA customers. South African Airways customers will be able to book hotels through the SAA website later this year.